The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has set May 6 to hold hearing of an appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam challenging his death penalty in a case filed over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
The full bench of the Appellate Division will hold the hearing on that day.
A four-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, fixed the date, saying that Azharul Islam's hearing will be the top of the list.
Lawyers Ahsan A Siddik and Mohammad Shishir Manir stood for Azharul Islam in the court.
On Monday, Azharul's lawyers Ehsan A Siddiq and Mohammad Shishir Manir prayed to the Appellate Division to hold hearing of their client's appeal today.
Following his arrest, Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azhar faced nine charges of “crimes against humanity”.
According to the chargesheet, he was “responsible” for killing 1,256 people, abducting 17, and raping 13 women during the Liberation War in the Rangpur region.
Besides, he was said to have tortured civilians, set fire to hundreds of houses and committed other atrocities.
The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced him to death on December 30, 2014, in five out of the nine charges.
On January 28, 2015, the death-row convict submitted a petition to the Appellate Division, claiming his innocence. Later, on July 19, 2020, Azharul Islam filed the review petition with the relevant branch of the Appellate Division.
Following an appeal hearing, the Appellate Division, under a bench led by then-Chief Justice Syed Mahmud, upheld the death penalty in a verdict delivered on October 23, 2019.
The full text of the Appellate Division’s verdict was released on March 15, 2020, after which ATM Azhar submitted the review petition.
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